Summer Exhibits: Leesburg and Ocala

Winter in Florida has always been known as the season for art. Lots of exhibitions and art festivals take place in the paradise-like weather outdoors. However, although there are not as many outdoor festivals, exhibitions are still taking place in the cool indoors. I was fortunate to exhibit my art in two nearby towns, Leesburg and Ocala. The Leesburg Center for the Arts is the artistic hub in Leesburg. There are exhibitis, classes, children's camp, lectures and more. The exhibit From Deep Withing - The Artist's Closet gave the artists an opportunity to exhibit pieces that they may have not shown or forgotten. The opening reception had a great turnout. If you missed it, the exhibit will be up until July 20, 2024.

In Ocala, the Marion Cultural Alliance creates a thriving art presence in the area. The current exhibiton Midsummer Dreams gets you into the summer vibes. The exhibition is at the Brick Center for the Arts in Ocala. A beautiful summer display of various mediums and photography. Step into this cool gallery and experience the summer heat. The show will be up until July 7, 2024.

SOBO Gallery Winter Garden

It is always exciting to find new venues to exhibit my art. SOBO Gallery is located in beautiful Winter Garden. This past year I had the honor of being selected to exhibit there. The gallery location makes it possible for people to park at the garage across the street for free, enjoy the art and walk the downtown area for dinner and drinks The space is nicely lit and has big windows to bring in the light. I hope to continue exhibiting at SOBO. Below are a few pieces I have shown there thus far. Stay tuned for upcomig exhibitions.

"Reflections" - Watercolor

"Mellow Yellow" - Watercolor

Welcome to 2024!

The new year is here and how many of you have great expectations for the next 365 days. We have a blank slate in front of us. Let's take each day and do something we wish we had done in 2023. For me, I dont have any goals, but a list of things I need to complete, or start, this year.  This blog has been neglected for the past two years. Its not that I did not have things to share; it wasjust sitting down and putting it into words. I need to work on that and hope you will contimue to read what I write beyond the first week in January.  

Every year, I hope to express myself more in the visual arts.  In conjunction with that, I need to find places that I can show my art. A constant place this past year was the exhibits at the Eisenhower Recretion Center. Below is my first entry for 2024 and my first ribbon there. You may have lots in store for me 2024!!!

Time to Return

 Time flies ! 

Can hardly believe its been two years since I wrote on here. If you look at my last post, I had just relocated to another part of Florida. There have been many changes. Some good and some not so good, but such is life. 

As I become more familiar with the area, I have decided which groups to join in order to grow as an artist. In the past two years, I have met so many creative artists and  had opportunities to exhibit and sell my art. My 2023 The new year 2024 has inspired me to complete a few goals from last year. Stay tuned to se if i complete them this year. Happy painting in the new year!

Thank You Members

Moving to a new place means starting over; finding your way around and fitting in. This also goes for art. I joined a couple of art organizations: the Villages Art  League and the Visual Arts Association. They both offer artists friendships, encouragement, inspiration and opportunities. I have received them all. I have met friendly artists that have inspired me. I received encouragement as the members of the VAA voted my alcohol ink art piece " Sweater Weather" - First Place in the October/November challenge. I continue to receive opportunities to exhibit and sell my work.

Thank you, Members!

Miami Watercolor Society 49th Annual Fall Exhibition

The Miami Watercolor Society is still being careful with crowds. This exhibition will take place on line. I am honored to have my art as part of this exhibition.  Below is my piece "Stalking the Marsh". You can also see all of the other pieces that make this an excellent show.

Click HERE to view the show.

Painting Surfaces

If you have been following me for a while, you may have noticed that I paint on many surfaces. I am not limited to paper and canvases. Over the years, I have painted gourds, palm fronds, shells, leaves and now my latest....cigar boxes. 

Cigar boxes are so unique in shapes and sizes. They are a great way to store things, anything, beautifully. They can be personalized in a special way to store treasures to hand down to a child or grandchild.

What would you store or save in one of these beautiful boxes?

These boxes sell  at Gilded Matilda's in Wildwood, but I also paint them for anyone that wants to buy directly from me. 

My Biggest Fan

Last month I lost my biggest fan.........my mother. She lived 92 years and her life was not without problems. For one, she was not able to walk for the last few years. Still, she loved life, loved us and the beauty around her.

It was so exciting to show her my new creations. She would always respond, "Que belleza" or "Precioso". She may have found them beautiful, but would say that there was nothing better than my clouds and seascapes.  She would get so excited whenever I made a sale. She valued money and would follow her excitement on the sale by asking if I received a good price for it, which always made me laugh. I have not painted anything new since she passed, but I have made sales. It is extremely sad not to share the good news with my biggest fan. 

I was happy she went to all of my art exhibitions and projects, until illness kept her home. She was curious about the Wynnwood Art District. It was difficult to take her in the wheelchair, but she had a tour from the car. She wanted to see the colorful umbrella display  in Coral Gables. She was also able to enjoy that. She enjoyed seeing the beauty at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens and seeing the butterflies.  Her love of life and beauty kept her interested and ready for everything. Like her, I will continue to enjoy the beauty around me and remember her with each of my creations.

No one will ever love me like she did. 

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/herald/obituary.aspx?n=rosa-gladys-martinez&pid=196326321

Pachamama Exhibition

April 22nd is Earth Day! It is a yearly event, celebrated around the world,  that brings awareness to our environment.and what we can do to protect it. It is appropriate that The National League of American Pen Women have their Pachamama exhibition on this day.

“Pachamama” is Mother Earth. Our Mother Earth plays an important role in our lives and every single living thing that connects us to her. She provides for us the essentials to survive in this world. She should be praised and taken care of by all of us. Our planet is where we live connected to other living things. She is also the inspiration for our work. We, as artist,s have a very important message to send and spread everywhere: our concern and love for our planet. Together we’ll find a way for everyone who shares her space, to make her a priority. She is that special, we are all connected.

What will happen to our existence ...if what she provides is gone?

I am proud to have been juried into this show honoring Mother Earth. The details are as follows:

Date: April 22, 2020

Place : FIU Green Library

Address:11200 SW 8 Street

Time: 6 - 9 pm

"Heliconia" - Watercolor batik on rice paper

"Tropical Greens" - Watercolor Batik on rice paper

Meditation in White

It's 2020!

A new year.....a new decade...... and an exhibition at a new gallery.

The National League of American Pen Women (Coral Gables branch) is a group of very talented women. We have artists that work in oil, acrylic, watercolor and clay. In addition, we have authors and musicians. 

This is our first exhibition of the year and new to:

Hernan Gamboa Gallery.

4000 West Flagler Street,

Miami, Fla. 33134

7-9 pm

We look forward to having you join us for our closing reception on January 24, 2020. There will be refreshments, great music, and, of course great art.

"Serenity" - Acrylic

"Come Fly with Me" - Acrylic

"Here's Looking at You" - watercolor

Irma's Fury" - watercolor/acrylic

Understanding Diago

This week I went to an opening reception of two Cuban artists at the Lowe Art Museum. I must say that I went home that night having enjoyed one of the best openings I have attended, but not too thrilled about one of the artists, Juan Robert Diago's work. The following day there was a gallery talk with the artist and the curator of the show, Dr. Alejandro de la Fuente. I went because this artist is not only Cuban, but still lives in Habana. Also, he is black and his works reflect the racism existing in Cuba. I had pre-conceived ideas about him. First, he must be communist and secondly, what racism? I wanted to hear what he had to say. Assuming I was going to come back disappointed in his message.

This experience was not only informative, but a life lesson for me; the fact that you don't understand what you don't know. This young man was soft-spoken, but as he explained his life, his career and his pieces, it was as if he was screaming his message. I understood his struggle and perseverance to create, although lacking materials. I related to his fight against racism through his art and his desire to make it better for the next generation of black Cubans. 

I came to the USA, as a child, and was not aware of racism, since I went to school with blacks and even had them as neighbors. His explanation of how racism happens in a communist country that has preached equality since 1959 was incredible. He is an artist with a purpose, hoping to help the next generation and very decisive about not selling his soul as he sells his art. Thank you, Diago!

Miami Watercolor Society 46th Annual Fall Exhibition

It seems that the bar to exhibit with the Miami Watercolor Society gets higher each year. So much talent in this group and the art they produce is outstanding. This is the reason why I am so happy to be part of this exhibition and to have been judged by the great Soon Y. Warren.

Below is the piece I will be exhibiting, along with the detail of the upcoming opening reception.
See you there!

Date: November 2, 2019
Time: 6-8 pm
Place:  Coconut Grove Art Festival Gallery
            3390 Mary Street
            Coconut Grove, Florida

Painting Pleasures

Painting has provided me lots of pleasure. I enjoy the process and I enjoy the result.....sometimes. There is always pleasure when you make a sale. It means someone likes the painting enough to buy it and look at it in their home.  Another pleasure is when you enter a show and the juror selects your painting to be part of the exhibition. Friends and family attend  and enjoy your piece. The icing on the exhibition cake is being awarded a prize. That may not happen often, but one keeps striving.

I have found another modern day pleasure to painting and it is art licensing. This step adds functionality to your pieces and allows people worldwide to see your work. It also makes it possible to enjoy art in places other than on a wall. I have been fortunate to have a few companies that license my art. It is through these companies that I arrive at yet another pleasure; selling my art at retail stores. It is great to have seen my art available at Macy's, Bloomingdale, Wayfair, Amazon, Overstock,  and Bed Bath and Beyond. Enjoy a few below!

Macy's.com

Curtains and wall mural.
https://www.macys.com/shop/product/deny-designs-rosie-brown-color-my-world-8x8-wall-mural?ID=6960419&CategoryID=190361

Bed, Bath and Beyond.com

Shower curtains, wallpaper, mirrors, tapestry and wall art.
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/s/rosie-brown?ta=typeahead

Amazon.com

Coasters, duvet covers, shower curtains and more.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rosie+brown+deny+designs&ref=nb_sb_noss

Wayfair.com

Duvet covers, mugs, mirrors and more.
https://www.wayfair.com/filters/keyword.php?keyword=rosie+brown&filters=colorList~Brown&new_keyword_search=1

Overstock.com

Curtains, duvet covers and more.
https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Rosie-Brown-Dots-And-Dots-Single-Panel-Sheer-Curtain-50-X-84/22042940/product.html?refccid=7CSQXYO6V5FLWDCCYRFN4QBGDQ&searchidx=49&kwds=rosie%20brown%20deny%20design&rfmt=

Oceania Marina

Traveling is not only fun, but an inspiration for my art and photography. Our last trip was a Baltic Sea cruise. I was very much looking forward to visiting those countries. Little did I know that the ship, Oceania Marina, was just what I would love. It was like a floating gallery. As soon as you walk in, you can't help, but be in awe of the grand staircase and tables.  It was Lalique!!

It was also impressive to look around and see art on the walls from some very well known artists. As I read the labels, I noticed that there seemed to be an art tour available. The information desk supplied us with the head pieces and we enjoyed an afternoon of looking and learning about the art and the artists. It was  surprising to even see pieces from a local Miami artist.

The ship also has an artist loft with an artist in residence. She held classes on board, which I was happy to attend. It was relaxing, a way to meet other  artists or just people interested in art.

All in all, a fabulous inspiring trip!

What's in Bornholn?

Every time I go on vacation, I try to visit the local galleries and museums. I also look for street art and artists. My last vacation was one of my best ones, it was a Baltic Sea cruise on Oceania. My ship experience is another topic to write about, and I will; a floating gallery.

One of the towns we visited, was Ronne, Bornholn in Denmark. There were adorable shops, a town square and a few ceramic studios. We stopped at Handlavet Keramik. It was great to see the artists at work and their beautiful pieces in the gallery section. I especially liked the pastel colors,  the clocks and the straight lines of the bowls and vases. I told them I would come to Miami and share their pieces.

Here they are! Enjoy!

Miami Watercolor Society 46th Annual Spring Exhibition

It is always an honor to get juried into the Miami Watercolor Society exhibitions. It is even a bigger deal when a great artist, that you admire, selects your piece. I am proud to announce that my painting "Here Looking at You" was selected by Iain Stewart to be part of the 46th Annual Miami Watercolor Society Spring Exhibition. Details below. You are all invited.

Date: Friday, April 12, 2019
Time: 6 - 8 pm
Place: Wirtz Art Gallery (First National Bank of South Miami)
           5750 Sunset Drive
           South Miami, Fla. 33143

"Here's Looking at You"

http://www.rosiebrowncreations.com/